Swivel for conveyer troughs



f G. BAECHLI SWIVEL FOR CONVEYER TRoUGHs Oct. 13, 1953 Filed Jan. 26, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l lo t E .30. Wh HWHIIHHIN Oct. 13, 1953 G. BAEcHLl SWIVEL FOR coNvEYER TRoUGHs 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 26, 1948 ais- 25306705071 George Hwa/7230'.

53 M4-Mm.

any.,

Patented Oct. 1 3, 1.95.3

EUR" EGNVEYER '.'IRQUGHS AGeorge .Baechli, N ew Philadelphia, Ohio, assigner to Joy Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., `a corporation of Pennsylvania ApplicationJamuamy-JZG, 1948;,S1erial No. t1,385

1 Claim.

. .Mxy invention relates to swivels, in particular to-.swiv.els .for shaker conveyor l.tror-lg-hing :for connecting and transmitting motion Vbetween a power Aactuated main trough line and a .section which-is, adaptedyto -be disposedat Avarious angies, to, the main troughAV line andl deliver material. to it.

.It is desirable vtolse able to turn sections of conveyor trough lines at various angles to the main- .pan line. In previous devices,A provision hasfbeen made vfor turnthrough limited angles Icy4 having .interengaging or nesting curved wal-.led-.-panfsections each. having; wall portions formed on. arcs struck: from the axis Aof pivoting; of the connection, and the swivel trough has been. anchored in: desired ,position by means .of a. .roof` jack and a `fsoecalled. pendulum. Because the. curved wallsections-ofl these swivels .had-to remainfspaced A:at .theirclosest .points substan` tially, .at :the1least, ,thev breadth-y sof. .theaadiacent nansections, the Vpotential swivel anglevwaslim.- ited, .and vthe.necessity,of1 I.ther-cof ack and pen- 1 dulum. -.was v acomplication which might desira-A lily be .avoidedfif possible. s Y

AccordingA to .my invention, `the necessity. `riornesting pairs, of. oppositel-y. ycurving-side` walls. is, avoided; andthe .pendulum -armand jack. arev rendered unnecessary;..and ,1 -have provdedtan. improved.. arrangement .by meansfof1 .which widen angles of.,.adj.vustment.,are -practicalila n According'..toL.a...preferred..embodiment there is? provided. betweenthe trough orpann-:sectionswbertween'which angularadiustment is :toiceeifeist-y ed.: vwithout..interfering,vvith.1rnovei'r1en'f.. of:` or Aper-- mitting tl"1e.spillage ofmaterialand withl .a

maintenance. loi .effective .transmission of. the.'

' tive `angular position .of 'said'm'embers; and' de.-

sirabljy "the member connected 'to the main pan. line/preferably said," frst'.memher..may 'have bottom engaging vmeans for maintainingjtsinotion atleast substantially rectilinear andlmalrv ing the use `oi .a` Jack. and.. pendulum. unnecessary,

object' o'f/ my invention i's to provide anim- A( Cl. 19.84220) .2 proved swivel trough. Another object o'f`my lnvention .is toprovidean improvedswivel .trough providing for a wide .range of angular adjustmentl between. its pivotally connected elements. A. further `object of my inventionis to providev an` improved swivel. -trough having. improved.. means for maintaining. material. against escape during its passage from .one sideof snch'troughto the. other.. Stillanother object of Amy invention-y is, to provide a-n .improved swivel'itrough `having; improved andy simplified-means for maintaining it in vdesired .position .and insuring, .that the desired .motion be. transmitted. `from Vone .off itselements to the other. Other objects and advantages. of the-invention will appearfhere.- inafter in the courseof the specicationand in the appended claim.

.In the accompanying. .drawings,. in. or purposes-.of illustration, .one Aform which .1n-y jinvention may assume in practice. has been shown..

Fig. l is a plan view .of the, illustrative em.- bodiment of.. my improved swivel i','roug'l`1,witl` the parts thereof in alined relation.

Fig. 2 isv a side elevationalY vview of.. the. structurev shown in Fig. 1..

Fig. .3 `is a central. longitudinali verticalA sec.-

tion..through..the .structure of Fig. .1, the .section Fig.. 4'. is. av transverse. verticali sectional' -view tak-en on. line 4-4 .of..Fig. 1.

.Fig V5 is a. transverse verticalY sectional .View taken online 55of Fig...2..`

Eig. 6. is a. top,` plan view. similar to 1' butv with the sections. of the swivel trough at. onelextreme angular position of relative. adjustment.`

.7 isa similar view,. but withthesections, of the swivel troughl at. theopposite extreme. an gular. position-of. relative adjustment..

:Referring to, .the :drawings,t. will. benoted thatan. end of amainpositively reciprocatedl pandinensection is shown .at..l,', and. .that at. 2l.v

there.:is.shown.the end. offa trough..,or.;pan sec tionr which is adjustable .angularly relative Ltov theV main. trough or panA lineV sectionA .I land! lac tuatedby theiatter.v The lined ismoved. with.

slide. underjit during vthesharply accelerated opposite..motions..

For the purpose of connecting the pan line lf u and the section 2 there is provided the swivel trough mechanism generally designated 3. This includes two sections 4 and 5, section -4 being connected to the angularly adjustable trough section 2 and being angularly adjustable with that section relative to the section 5, which is secured to the main pan line I. Connections are made by bolt and nut means 6 extending through ears I and 8, the ears 'I connected to the sections of the pan line, and the ears 8 connected to the individual elements or sections of the swivel trough connection. The bolt and nut connection 6 which connects the section to the main pan line I also connects a ball frame I9 in a position to underlie and support the end of the pan line I and the adjacent end of the swivel trough section 5. The ball frame IB has projecting arms I9 for the reception of suitable jacks, not shown, for securing the lower portion of the ball frame against sliding movement relative to the ground. These jacks insure rectilinear reciprocation of the swivel section 5.

Referring now particularly to the swivel section 4, it will be observed that this includes a bottom plate I I, which may be described as generally fan shaped, and which has an arcuate end surface I2 of not much less than 180 arcuate extent. As Will later be observed, this arcuate surface cooperates with a concave arcuate surface of similar radius formed on the adjacent end of the swivel section 5. Beneath the end of the section 4 which is formed with the arcuate surface I2 is an arcuate flange or plate I4 welded or otherwise suitably secured to the bottom of the plate I I and adapted to underlie and support a bottom plate o'f'the section 5 as will later be observed. At its end nearer the trough section 2, the plate I l is cut in at its sides, as at C, to about the width of the bottom of the pan section 2, and has secured to it inclined plate sections I5 making angles with the plate l I similar to the angles made by the inclined side ilanges IB of the trough section 2 with the bottom of the latter; and material is prevented from passing out beneath the inclined plates I5 by transverse triangular plate sections l1. A member I8 with which the ears 8 are integral is welded to the end of the plate II, end underlying plates i9 welded to the member I8 and to the plate II lend rigidity and strength to the structure. A joint member I6 is spot Welded to the member i8, and overlies the adjacent end of the trough section 2. Upright bracket members 2i] arearranged at the narrow end of the plate member II adjacent the inclined plates I5 and plate sections I'I, and are welded or otherwise suitably strongly and rigidly attached to the plate II and also to the plate sections I'I which are welded not only to the plate I I but also to the inclined plates I5. Triangular stiiener plates S -may be welded to the bracket members 20 and to the plate II. The upright bracket members 20 are bored as at 2I for bolts 22 to pass through them, and flexible side plates 23 materially higher than the tops of the flanges I6 of the trough section 2 are bolted at one end to the upright bracket members. The other ends of these plates have sliding connections with guides, later described, carried by the swivel trough section 5.

The swivel trough section 5 includes a bottom plate 25, which is relatively rectangular except that it has a concave arcuate surface 25 at one end, and that it is cut away laterally as at CJ similarly to the plate II, at its other end. The surface 26 matches the surface I2 and overlies portions of the arcuate support plate I4. Thus a wide range of angular adjustments of the section 4 relative to the section 5 may be made about the axis of the pivot soon to be described, without any escape of material at the sliding joint between these sections. At its end toward the pan line I, the swivel trough section 5 is provided with inclined plate sections 21 similar to the plate sections IS and matching the slope of the side flanges 28 of the main pan line, and triangular plates 29, similar to the plates Il, are arranged to prevent the escape of material through the space underlying the inclined plate sections 21. A member I8 supports the ears B at this end also, and underlying plates I 9 and a joint member I6 are provided as at the end of swivel section 4. Upright heavy parallel side members 39, suitably Welded to the bottom plate 25, extend from the plates 29 to the extreme opposite edges of the arcuate surface 2G, being bent slightly outwardly at their extremities as at 3I. Strengthening ribs 32 further rigidly secure the side members 30 to the bottom plate 25. The side members 39 have secured to their tops pairs of angle members, small outer angle members 34 welded to the outside of the tops of the plates 3G and larger angle members 35 secured by bolts 36 to the angle members 34 in such a manner that a narrow vertical slot 31 is provided between the downwardly extending flange of the angle member 35 and the inner surfaces of the plates 30. Within these slots 3l there are guided the free ends of the flexible plate members 23. There are secured to the tops of the members I5 and 2l and to the tops of the members I8, I8, plate sections 38, 33 and 39, 39, each extending up to the same height as the top of the iiexible side members 23, 23.

To the bottom of the plate 25 there is secured a transversely extending reinforcing plate 40. Secured as by Welding to this plate there is a longitudinally extending plate 4I to which there are secured vertical downwardly extending runner-like plates 42 and which is perforated as at to provide an eye through which an annular pivot member 44 may extend. A. reinforcing ring 46 may be secured to the plate 4I so as to provide a thicker-walled eye surrounding the pivot member 44. This pivot member, and a cap plate 4l are riveted as at 48 to the bottom of the plate II, the pivot member 44 and the eye 43 having their centers in the same straight line with the axis from which the convex and concave surfaces I2 and 26 are struck. It will be evident that the section 4 can be pivoted by rotation of the pivot member 44 in the eye 43, and that as this pivot movement is eiected, the plates 23 will ex, as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7, and will slide in the slots 3l, and will provide a guide channel for material moving from the trough section 2 to the pan line I. It will be noted that the runner-like members 42 extend into the planes of the bottoms of the ball frame I0 and support much of the weight of the swivel connection. It will be noted that these are parallel to the axial line of the trough section I, and that as this trough section is reciprocated, the coaction of the runners 42 with the bottom will reduce the tendency of the section 5 to move laterally as it thrusts the section 4 forwardly and to some degree laterally. Upright pins 50 may be secured to the arcuate ange or plate I4 as by welding, to limit the degree of angular movement of the section 4 relative to the section 5.

It will be observed that the structure described will permit a very wide range of angular adjustment of the trough section 2 relative to the pan line l--an adjustment of at least 45 in either direction from the central or alined position sh-own in Fig. 1. terial cannot escape from the top oi the plate H or from the top of the plate 25 regardless of the angles of relative adjustment. It will be observed that the runners 42 will aid in maintaining the motion of the trough section 5 rectilinear, notwithstanding the fact that there may be some lateral sliding of the end of the trough section 2 accompanying the longitudinal reciprocation of said trough section 2. It will be observed that it is not necessary to provide a roof jack and pendulum arm with the structure illustrated and described, and in general it will be noted that a very eiective swivel trough construction is made available.

While there is in this application specifically described one form which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In combination, in a shaker conveyor, a positively reciprocated main pan line, an angularly adjustable extension of said pan line, and a swivel trough connecting said extension with said main pan line and transmitting shaker motion to the former from the latter including a pair of longitudinally abutting sections connected at their ends remote from each other one to said main pan line and the other to said extension, said one of said abutting sections having a horizontally concave end surface and said other having a horizontally convex end surface fitting said concave surface, means, including a longitudinally projecting, eye-providing plate secured to said one of said sections and a pivot member secured It will be observed that mato said other of said sections and received in the eye of said plate, for connecting said sections for relative pivotal movement about a single axis located at the center from which the arcs of said concave and convex surfaces are struck and for preventing radial movement of either of said sections relative to said pivot whereby the angle of the angularly adjustable extension of said pan line may be varied relative to the main pan line while the reciprocatory movements of the latter are transmitted undiminished to the one of said longitudinally abutting sections which isconnected to said extension, mine bottom engaging runners secured to said projecting eye-providing member and xed relative to the lower side of said section having a horizontally concave end surface and extending beneath the adjacent portion of said section having the horizontally convex end surface, and means for preventing spillage of material as it passes over said sections including oppositely disposed, upwardly extending attachment members on one of said sections, guide members on the other of said sections and exible side plates secured to said attachment members and longitudinally slidable in said guides.

GEORGE BAECHLI.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,785,402 Arentzen Dec. 16, 1930 1,850,582 Ernsbarger Mar. 22, 1932 2,129,809 Bergmann Sept. 13, 1938 2,131,867 Bergmann Oct. 4, 1938 2,216,546 Cartlidge Oct. 1, 1940 2,304,300 Brown Dec. 8, 1942 2,338,704 Clarkson Jan. 11, 1944 2,379,337 Bergmann June 26, 1945 2,388,385 Cartlidge Nov. 6, 1945 2,410,481 Doberstein Nov, 5, 1946 

